Katie-Free-as-the-Wind
by BlackPaperMoon82462
Summary: Whether she's leaving whoopee cushions in random places or lying to other spirits about her center, Katie Free is always wearing a Cheshire Cat grin. But what else would you expect from the April Fool? Now Manny has told the Guardians to watch and keep track of her, but Katie won't take this news well. OC. No pairings!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Any of you who are waiting for me to update Only Human, you may now bludgeon me into unconsciousness. Because I'm starting a new project and any updates will be slowed down now. *covers head* I got this idea when ShunKazamis-Girl told me I should be the April Fool after reading my other ROTG fic (The Pun War of '13).**

**Oh, and I hope you all appreciate how much of a ****_pain_**** it is for me to write in present tense! (I just needed to get that off my chest. ^^)**

**Rating: T. I don't ****_think_**** there are any swear words yet, but there will be.**

**Pairings: Zip. Nada. Nein. Niet. Non. NO. Sorry, I'm just no good at romance fics (no matter how much I love them)**

**Disclaimer: I don't even own the name Katie (stolen from a friend). What makes you think I own all of ROTG?**

* * *

_4/1/13_

_The Girl With the Cheshire Cat Grin_

It's a bright, cheerful day in a small town that seems to have magically become a winter wonderland overnight, and a teenaged girl prances down the streets while singing any and every song that pops into her mind, often mixing the lyrics and transitioning between songs without realizing it.

_"I'm getting nuttin' for Christmas~! Mommy and Daddy are mad~! I'm getting nuttin' for Christmas, 'cause I ain't been nuttin' but bad~!"_

Anyone who might see her would surely label her as crazy and walk away, even if she weren't singing. The girl's shoulder-length hair is bright, fiery red that is never anything other than frizzy, while her eyes can't seem to settle on a color and often switch from a plain brown to bright pink to startling green in between blinks. Her face has a smattering of freckles and her mouth is pulled into a grin as she sings. She is tan and wears faded jeans and an old, comfortable T-shirt with a funny quote on it that, like her eyes, refuses to stay the same. The shirt never sports the same saying twice, though it is more relaxed and only changes every hour or so. The most noticable parts of her ensemble, however, are her black silk top hat and the cherry red cape that only reaches down to her hips.

Yes, anyone who sees her would promptly decide she was well and truly mad. Luckily, she doesn't have to worry about anyone seeing -or even hearing- her.

The girl is Katie Free, and she is _the_ April Fool.

* * *

I grin as I keep up my songs, being ignored by the people who walk up and down the street. They can't consciously hear me, but the small, mischievous smiles that grace more than a few faces tell me that at least some part of them can feel my presence.

The Christmas song makes my smirk grow wider. I've been getting nuttin' for Christmas for the past couple of decades; I am number two on the Naughty List, after all. The only person above me is Jack Frost, but we are almost tied by now. And _that _is one heck of an accomplishment, considering that Jackie boy had two centuries for a head-start. I was so proud of myself when I first saw the List. Unfortunately, though I _am_ second on the List, the name under Jack's isn't mine. I snicker. But that's a story for another time. Maybe it's just a hunch, but I get the feeling that I definitely won't be getting anything under the tree when North goes on his rounds in a few weeks. I snort in a very unladylike manner at the thought.

Speaking of rounds, I need to get back to mine. The next few hours go by quickly, with me leaving pebbles in just the right spot to make people trip, putting fake bugs in random places, taping various 'Kick Me!' signs to my poor victims, and going into silent classrooms equiped with a whoopee cushion. (Say what you want about the whoopee cushion; it's freaking _hilarious_.)

How did I get fake bugs and whoopee cushions, you ask? Well, to tell you that, I'd have to tell my whole story. I don't like even_ thinking _about my story (thanks to a certain _little problem _that I might or might not tell you about later), so suffice to say that people got the whole pulling-a-rabbit-out-of-a-hat thing from me. Or maybe I got it from them? I don't remember. Anyway, any props that I need for a prank, I just pull them out of my signature top hat.

Soon enough, I get bored. Shocker, right? So of course I, like any sane person would do, decide to look down at my shirt and ask, "What do you think I should do now?"

Slowly, the words that were there previously shift and reform into a new phrase. It now says, _'Friends will stab you in the back. Best friends will stab you repeatedly with a plastic spoon.'_

"Find someone to hang out with?" I translate, "Great idea! But the question is: who?"

The words once again blur and reshape themselves into a reply. _'I Intend To Live Forever... So Far, So Good.'_

I roll my eyes. "Nah, I was just gonna go find a human to hang out with. Of course another immortal!" The shirt doesn't change again. I figure it's just sulking, so I go back to figuring out who I should go find. Sighing, I look at my surroundings in hope of getting an idea from them. There are Christmas decorations everywhere. Should I go try to sneak into North's workshop? Nah, security would be especially tight around this time of year, and Phil would catch me immediately. Besides, even I, the essence of rule-breaking, won't sink so low as to mess with another immortal so close to their holiday. That just isn't cool.

I grin when I see a group of kids (they look like they're in their preteens) walking on the sidewalk. One of the boys trips (not my fault) and lands in a snow bank in front of him. The boy looks like he is about to die of embarrassment, so I applaud and tell him cheerfully, "Epic failure, my friend!" He can't see or hear me, obviously, but my silent encouragement makes his face split into a goofy grin and he laughs about it with his friends.

My mind begins to wander to the person who put the snow bank there in the first place. It is still snowing, so I figure he'll still be close by. That's it! Grinning maniacally, I jump to the top of a building and proceed to wander around while singing. "_Chesnuts roasting on an open fire~! Jack Frost nipping at your nose_~!"

It only takes a few verses before I feel a gust of cold wind and hear a voice whine behind me, "Oh come on, Katie! You _know_ I hate that song!"

"Jack, my frosty friend!" I cheer happily, turning around to glomp him. He was expecting it though and therefore dodges. I pout at him. "I don't get a hug from my favorite partner in crime?" In front of me is a white-haired, teenaged-looking boy in a blue hoodie that is frozen in several spots. He is the only person higher up on the Naughty List than me; we were pretty much destined to become best friends.

Jack Frost smirks at me as he leans on his crooked staff. "Last time you hugged me, my hair _somehow_ got dyed neon orange," he accuses.

"I fail to see why that means I get no hug."

"I looked like a traffic cone for weeks!"

"A very _stylish_ traffic cone!"

Our faces both break into huge grins. Man, I've really missed Jack. He's one of two spirits that doesn't hate and/or is annoyed by me, and he's been too busy with Guardian business to hang out with me much lately.

"So, what's up?" Jack asks curiously.

"I got bored," I state simply, "Wanna ditch work with me?"

He raises an eyebrow. "By 'ditch work', do you mean 'wreak havoc all across the globe'?"

"Yep."

"Let's do this."

* * *

Jack and I are in a highschool classroom while the students are taking a test. Their teacher is being particularly evil today; the test is a fill-in-the-blank with no word bank. One guy is especially worried. He knows he isn't doing well, but he can't remember any of the years!

Getting an idea, I walk over to him and tell the teen, "You should write forty-two for one of them. Everyone knows forty-two is the meaning of life, universe, and everything!"

Again, the boy doesn't hear me, but the basic idea gets put into his thoughts. Grinning, he ends up writing 9,001. I chuckle. "It's over nine thousand. Nice one, man!"

Jack is staring at me with an expression I can't quite put into words. It's like pride, confusion, jealousy, and awe wrapped into one, but that's not quite it. (1) "How can they hear you?" he asks.

"They don't," I answer with a shrug, "I think they hear me subconsciously, but they only get parts of the message. Kinda like your magic dust; they just get the basic feeling."

Jack gets a thoughtful expression and the conversation drops. As we walk out of the school, Jack asks, "Have you had any luck with remembering who you were?"

I shake my head. "No, it's still just a few blurry images and thoughts."

"You could go see Tooth, you know," he suggested. The Tooth Fairy is one of Jack's fellow Guardians. When he joined the group last year, Jack was finally able to get his memories back, and he thinks I should go get mine too.

I scoff. "Me? Go to someone for help? Never!" I declare loudly. In reality, I just don't think I'd be able to handle getting my memories back all at once. I get the feeling I didn't have the happiest life before I died. Memories of a life full of pain and sadness: that's my greatest fear. I wince at the thought.

Jack looks at me closely, seeming like he is going to press the issue further or maybe ask about my _little problem_, but then he seems to decide against it. Instead, he tells me, "Y'know, right now, your eyes are the same orange that my hair was."

I grin at his blatant topic-change. "Come on, let's go convince someone to stick their tongue to a metal pole."

* * *

I wave goodbye to Jack as he leaves to continue spreading blizzards throughout the world. With a relaxed sigh, I put my hands in my pockets and choose a random direction to walk in. I don't really have a specific 'home', so I settle for walking aimlessly through the streets of whichever town I finish my work in for the day. My mind begins to wander soon, and as usual, it goes to my newest of a long line of schemes and tricks. I thought of this cool prank yesterday where I get a rubber duck and-

Suddenly, a cold voice whose owner is hidden in the darkness beyond the light of the street lamps drawls, "Still friends with the winter brat, hmm Katie?"

* * *

**(1) Pride because she can do something that no one else can. Confusion because humans shouldn't (as far as he knows) be able to hear her. Jealousy because, come on, who wouldn't be jealous of that power after three centuries alone? And awe because omgtheycanactuallyhearherandermergerd!**

**A/N: So? Do you guys like Katie? Hate her? Want me to completely scrap this fic and start a new one? (I won't, but tell me if that's what you think!) What about her relationship with Jack? And what part do you think the mysterious voice *cough*Pitch*cough* will have in the story? Tell me, my pretties!**

**Fair warning: ****_I will not update this regularly or often_****. I was attacked by plot bunnies, and today is the perfect day to publish this first chapter. I'm going to try really hard to get an awesome plot all planned out for this fic (because so far, the plot is basically nonexistent.)**

**SOMEONE HELP ME THINK OF A NEW NAME FOR THIS FIC PRETTY PLEASE! I kinda like the current name, but it isn't my favorite. It just doesn't feel right, y'know? HELP!**


	2. Chapter 2

_4/8/13_

_A Wickedly Grinning Nightmare_

_Last time: Suddenly, a cold voice whose owner is hidden in the darkness beyond the light of the street lamps drawls, "Still friends with the winter brat, hmm Katie?"_

Without hesitating, my hands curl into fists and I throw myself in the direction of the cruel voice.

A grey hand rises up smoothly to block my attack. I can practically _hear_ the smirk on the guy's face when he greets me calmly, "Nice to see you as well, Katie."

The figure steps partially out of the shadows so I can see him more clearly. He is a tall, pale man with spiked black hair and wearing a long, black cloak. His glowing yellow eyes are the only things colorful about him, but they just add to his creepiness. I feel a grin sneak up on my previously emotionless face when the faint light reaches him. "Pitchy! How are you, my frightening friend?"

Pitch scowls at me. "I'm not sure which of those two nicknames I despise more." Do you remember when I said Jack was one of only two spirits that don't hate me? This guy is the other: Pitch Black, the Nightmare King. He's still healing from his battle with the Guardians last year, so I haven't seen him much lately either. Don't tell Jack that I'm friends with him though; I get the feeling they _might _not like each other so much.

I pretend to think about it for a moment. "Hmm. I think calling you my frightening friend is more of a compliment than an insult. I mean, you _are_ the Boogeyman." Unlike most people, I have very good control of my emotions (thanks to my _little problem_), so Pitch's normally terrifying aura doesn't affect me much. He'll never admit it, but he likes being around someone who can be completely at ease in his presence.

You try having a decent conversation with someone who's about to wet themself. It's no wonder he puts up with me and my annoying, always grinning, disrespectful self.

"Ah, but I don't frighten _you_, do I?" he asks dryly, already knowing the answer.

"Nope!" I chirp, "To me, you're just a big, angsty teddy-bear who needs a hug!" I hold up my arms in an invitation for a hug. An invitation which he declines. Why does no one want to hug me today? I don't bite... Most of the time.

"Watch it, Fool," he warns, glowering at me, "Or you'll be getting an extra-special nightmare tonight."

I wave off his threat; he's only ever given me one nightmare, and he's never done it again. But that's another story for another time. "To what do I owe the pleasure of being graced with your presence, my King?" I ask mockingly, even taking off my hat and giving an exaggerated bow.

Pitch smirks wryly. "What, a man can't visit an amusing acquaintance of his just to check up on her?"

"No."

He puts his pale hand to his chest in fake pain, "Oh Katie, you wound me so." Then his face becomes impassive and he tells me seriously, "I felt your fear earlier. Are you okay?"

Oh. "Nah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," I reassure him, though I can feel my smile becoming more strained. I know he notices it too. Thinking about my memories _had_ freaked me out a bit, but I didn't think Pitch would pick up on such a small bit of fear!

"Are you sure?" he presses, not convinced. "Have you been practicing y-?"

"I'm fine," I snap coldly. Then I wince and fake a smile, "Sorry. I still can't think about it much."

Pitch nods in understanding; he knows about my _little problem_. I'm the embodiment of pranks and carefree-ness. I'm always smiling and joking. What people don't know about me though, is that I _have_ to always smile and joke; any negative emotions like anger and sadness physically hurt me.

I grimace at another twinge of pain. Thinking about these kinds of things is a vicious cycle. That's why Pitch makes sure to never give me nightmares; he visited me one night a couple decades ago and (pardon my French) absolutely flipped shit when I woke up screaming in pain rather than fear. Contrary to popular belief, the Boogeyman doesn't actually enjoy the pain of others (the Guardians, of course, being the only exceptions; I have no doubt that Pitch would very much _love_ seeing them in pain).

Ever since then, he's been helping me practice and build up an immunity to the pain. I still can't think about a lot of things, but now I can at least be serious when I need to be.

"So," I say to change the subject, "Wanna help me prank some people?"

Pitch grins evilly in response.

* * *

Pitch joins me in my conquest of chaos while his Nightmares take care of spreading fear for the night. As you might expect, the pranks that Pitch and I cause are of a... _darker_ nature than the ones Jack and I pulled a couple hours ago. Earlier, there were fake bugs and whoopee cushions. Now, we trip a few people down the last couple of stairs (I make sure they don't get hurt). We tip over trash cans as people walk through dark alleys. We twist and twirl shadows in bedrooms while making odd tapping and creaking noises in the darkness. We watch as a middle school girl in the U.S. (where it is still daytime) searches her locker frantically for her history assignment. An assignment that her 'friend' stole a few minutes ago as a joke.

I watch her with sad eyes. "I always hate this part. This is the moment when magic stops being real for her and she starts to grow up." A dull ache begins in my chest at my melancholy thoughts. "Soon, she'll stop believing in the Guardians, and no one will protect her from the world." Now, don't get me wrong; this isn't a new thing. My mere presence makes people a little crueler, a little riskier; that's the basis of pranks. I've mostly gotten used to it. Maybe that makes me a bad person, but it's better than being in constant pain from regret.

Pitch's face is a blank mask, but I know he is pitying the girl too. He hates the Guardians and wants them to lose believers, but his hatred is personal. It has nothing to do with this girl. I know he's torn; he loves the girl's fear as well as her future lack of belief, but he feels bad at seeing someone's innocence torn from them. He won't show it though. Like me, he's learned not to let anything affect him too much.

In a few moments, we turn and leave the school to continue spreading fear and pranks.

* * *

At the same moment, a group of four people are standing at the North Pole, idly watching a metal globe full of tiny lights, waiting for the fifth guest to arrive and impatient to learn why they had to be summoned so late at night. Suddenly, what appears to be a golden racecar flies/drives into the room. Upon stopping, it immediately dissolves into sand of the same color and disappears into the night, leaving the driver, a short, round little man who appears to be made of the same sand, standing there cheerfully. The Sandman, Sandy, forms a top hat out of his dreamsand and tips it at his fellow Guardians.

Now that the last person has arrived, North (more commonly known as Santa Claus), a huge Russian man with Naughty and Nice tattoos on his arms, laughs and announces jovially to the others in his heavily accented voice, "It is good to see you all! Would anyone like a cookie or-"

Bunnymund, a six-foot-tall rabbit with boomerangs and egg bombs strapped to his chest and tribal markings on his fur, interrupts in an Australian accent, "Get on with it, Mate. Some of us have actually _important _holidays to prepare for." His words are biting and a little cruel, but everyone in the room knows of Bunny's and North's long-standing argument.

Frankly, they'd be surprised if it _hadn't_ been said.

"Oh?" North asks challengingly. "Did you get new holiday, Bunny? Because there is no way _Easter_ could be more important than _Christmas_."

Before it can get ugly, the only female occupant of the room, a beautiful half-human half-hummingbird woman whose blurred wings keep her a few inches of the ground, interrupts. "Guys, guys, come on; not all of us get to work one day a year. Why are we here?" the Tooth Fairy, or Tooth, asks as she tells her mini fairies the locations of baby teeth they need to collect.

"Yes, yes. Sorry Tooth," North apologizes, "We get off topic. I will get to point. We are here because Man in Moon has message for us."

The fifth, and newest, Guardian finally looks up from freezing various elves that are running rampant throughout the room. "The Moon?" Jack Frost repeats curiously. "Is there gonna be a new Guardian?"

North just shakes his head. "I don't think so, Jack. But I do not know what else he could want to tell us."

"Then we shouldn't keep him waiting," Bunny suggests.

As one, all five Guardians of Childhood turn to the open window through which moonlight is shining brightly through. A thick fog seems to form in the workshop where the moonlight is focused, slowly coalescing into a gradually more detailed form. In a few moments, a figure wearing a top hat and what might be a cape is standing in front of them. The only distinctive feature on its face is a wide grin.

A voice that is booming yet quiet, fierce yet gentle, impossibly old yet youthful, accented yet unidentifiable speaks when they all begin to recognize the figure. _'Watch her,' _it commands in it's soothing tone, _'She is in danger.' _And then, without another word, the Man in the Moon is gone.

Bunny groans. "Why'd it have to be Katie Free!?" he asks miserably. "That sheila is worse than Frostbite! Besides, why would anyone want to hurt the spirit of patriotism?"

North scoffs. "The paint for your eggs is getting to your brain, my friend. That was April; the spirit of spring."

Now it is Tooth's turn to be confused. "No, that was Katie-Free-as-the-Wind. She's a weather spirit from Hungary. She told me herself."

Everyone looks at Sandy when he waves his arms to get their attention. His dreamsand forms into an image of fire above his head.

"The spirit of fire?" North translates.

"Well, she does have fiery hair and that red cape of her's," Tooth concedes.

"Impossible! She told me when we met that she is April the spring spirit!" North declares, his eyebrows scrunched together in bewilderment.

"Well she told _me_ that she's the spirit of patriotism!" Bunny counters. "Her name is Katie _Free_ for a reason."

At the sound of choked back snickering, they turn to see Jack leaning on his staff, clutching at his stomach and shaking with suppressed laughter.

"And what," Bunny glares at the mirth-filled frost spirit, "is so funny, Mate?" North, Sandy, and Tooth are merely watching the boy questioningly.

"It's just-," Jack takes a shuddering breath, trying to stop laughing so he can explain, "This is exactly the kind of thing she'd do. This must have taken forever for her to pull off, and she knew she wouldn't even be here to see it!"

"What do you mean, Jack?" Tooth asks. Bunny taps his foot impatiently.

Jack tries valiantly to fight the grin off his face, but alas, he fails miserably. "Katie Free," he announces, "is the April Fool. She's named after Katie-Free-as-the-Wind; the trickster spirit from Hungarian folktales."

The Guardians of Wonder, Hope, Dreams, and Memories are left gaping, utterly speechless.

**A/N: So, you get to find out what Katie's ****_little problem_**** is, find out that Pitch isn't the baddie, and the Guardians get pranked. I think it's been a good chapter, don't you? :D**

**Just a warning: I don't plan on updating soon.**

**REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPIER THAN AN ELF WITH A COOKIE!**


	3. Chapter 3

_4/23/13_

_The Guardians Aren't Laughing (Much)_

After much arguing, it is decided that Katie should be brought to the Pole and informed of the Moon's message. North and Bunny insist that it isn't because they want to interrogate her as to why she had tricked them. After even _more_ arguing, it is also agreed that Jack should be the one to fetch her.

When the debate is finally settled, Jack flies off to find the Fool, still smirking at the earlier hilarity and confusion. He finally finds her in Peru, where she is sleeping near the top of a rather tall tree with her top hat covering her eyes.

Grinning, Jack formulates a simple -yet evil- plan.

* * *

After Pitch and I had said goodbye and parted ways, I'd been so tired that I climbed into the nearest tree and immediately fell dead asleep. So naturally, when I am abruptly woken by absolutely _freezing_ hands shoving me off of my branch, I am _not_ a happy camper.

I land on the unforgiving ground with a loud, ungraceful '_Oompf_!' and a solid thud. I don't move. "Your hair shall be dyed pink this time, Frostbite," I tell the culprit darkly, my words muffled due to the fact that I still refuse to move. That, and maybe the wind got knocked out of me when I fell. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to let sleeping spirits lie?"

A voice laughs. "It was just too tempting! Hey, you never told me you're really April the patriotic spring spirit of fiery weather."

Groaning, I finally push myself into a sitting position. The prank I finished setting up a decade ago has finally happened, but I can't appreciate it while also concentrating on _breathing_. "Aw, you and the Guardians talk about me, Jackie boy?" I reach my hand out.

Jack snorts and grabs my hand to pull me up. Then it's like someone flips a switch and he turns serious. "Actually, I need to bring you back to the Pole with me; the others want to talk to you."

"Ah crap. Are they really that mad?"

Jack seems to take that as an affirmative because he then grabs me and the wind flies us to North's Workshop (A.K.A. _certain doom_ for me). As we soar northward, my kidnapper has the nerve to ignore my loud (and quite colorful, I might add) swearing in favor of laughing. Bastard.

* * *

For the second time today, Jack Frost is the reason I fall in an ungraceful heap on the ground. From where I lay on the floor of North's Workshop, I glare at Jack while he floats, whistling, above me. "Forget the pink. Your hair will be rainbows within the hour," I growl. He just blinks innocently at me. I pick up an elf that had been walking past and chuck it at his face.

Someone else in the room clears their throat.

I turn to see the four Guardians (Jack was still floating above us) standing epicly a few feet away. A grin finds its way onto my face. "The Guardians! To what do I owe the pleasure, my fabled friends?"

"Fabled friends?" Bunny asks incredulously. Ah, it's nice to see him. I get the feeling he hasn't forgiven me for that one unfortunate incident with the glitter, though. Heh.

"Don't ask," Jack tells him sagely. "The explanation is not worth it."

Aw, he remembers. I think he's over-reacting though; I quite like telling the explanation (even if I do change the details every time I tell it). Eh, I'll tell it later. As I think about that, my eyes find a small, shadowed corner off to the side. Weird, and here I thought the yetis make sure to keep the whole place well-lit. I quickly look away so as not to draw attention to the oddity. I rejoin the conversation, hoping I hadn't been in my own little world for too long. "He's right, my furry friend. But I'll tell ya later if you want."

The conversation is cut short when I'm abruptly tackled by a woman covered in feathers who immediately opens my mouth, inspecting my teeth. "_Oh_! That one molar is still purple, Katie!" she admonishes me. "I told you it was a bad idea to dye each tooth a different color!" Her mini-fairies are watching me disapprovingly.

When she takes her hands out of my mouth and looks pointedly at me, I argue, "It was only temporary! All the other colors came out fine; the purple must have had something wrong with it! Besides, no one but you would check my molars." We both smile as we remember the day. She almost had a heart attack when she saw my rainbow-fied grin. "It's good to see you again, my feathered friend," I tell her.

She's about to respond, but suddenly, a wickedly sharp sword it thrown between us, missing my face my inches. The shadows in the corner condense a bit, as if agitated. I turn and grin wickedly at the culprit. "Oh North~," I call in a sing-song voice, mostly to tell whatever (or, if my hunch is right, _who_ever) is in the corner that it's okay. "I believe we have a debt to settle, my festive friend."

The jolly man lets out a bark of laughter. "I see your memory is sharp as ever, April. Or shall I say, Katie." He winks good-naturedly. "We have to change name on List soon. But I think you might get record for this one. We will settle debt when business is done." What debt, you ask? Well since I'm feeling pretty generous, I'll tell you. When I met North, we made a bet that I couldn't steal Jack's place as first on the Naughty List within the century. Afterall, how would a sweet, innocent spring spirit beat the spirit world's number one prankster? Ha!

I nod in agreement and turn to the person I haven't yet greeted. "Sandman," I acknowledge emotionlessly. The golden man returns my impassive stare, and everyone in the room pauses to watch the scene. Even the shadows flicker interestedly, though the Guardians don't seem to notice. We continue our staredown, ignoring the others.

Then Sandy winks.

My face splits into a wide grin, and I run to hug/tackle Sandy. If there's one other person in the room besides Jack (and the person who may or may not be hiding in the shadows in the corner) who I consider a friend, it's definitely Sandy. No contest. "Sandy, my flirty friend!" I cheer.

I don't know why Bunny choked when I said that.

* * *

After dealing with a horde of elves who had discovered the wonders of cookie dough (now, _who_ would teach them that?), an unfortunate accident involving art supplies that tragically left Jack with a head full of rainbow-colored hair (the sparkles were a nice touch), and other general spouts of chaos that seem to follow wherever I go, the Guardians continue the meeting.

At least, they try.

I pull a camera out of my hat and snap a picture of Jack standing next to Tooth. "Twins!" I squeal excitedly. Jack glares. Tooth looks like she's trying to hide a smile.

North clears his throat to get our attention. "Katie, do you know why you are here?"

I glance around nervously; I seriously hope they aren't too mad about me lying about my center. I get the feeling that my trick isn't the reason I'm here, though. There's something else, and it's either really important or really bad for me. I'm not an idiot; normally, Bunny would have chucked an egg grenade at me already, or Tooth's fairies would have swarmed/attacked me on sight, or North would have _killed_ me for teaching the elves about cookie dough. I know they don't think I'm as perceptive as I am, though, and I'd like to keep it that way for now. So I play dumb and say, "Er... Because Jack kidnapped me?"

Bunny speaks up. "You're here, Sheila, because the Man in the Moon told us you're in danger."

I blink before looking to each of the other Guardians to see if he was telling the truth. Apparently, yeah. This time, I don't even have to fake the confusion when I say, "Alright, I'll ask. Who's the Man in the Moon?"

**A/N: So, I know this isn't the longest chapter, and it's kinda a filler, but it needed to happen! So what do you think about Katie's relationships this the Guardians? And what about her habit of calling people her '*blank* friends'? And why do you think she calls Sandy the Flirty one? And how will she react to the Guardians trying to protect her? What about Pitch? And most importantly, how does she not know about Manny!?**

**Whew, that was a lot of questions! Make sure to tell me what you think and REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

_5/8/13_

_Life Isn't All Smiles and Pranks_

_Last time: "You're here, Sheila, because the Man in the Moon told us you're in danger."_

_This time, I don't even have to fake the confusion when I say, "Alright, I'll ask. Who's the Man in the Moon?"_

All five Guardians are staring at me like I've grown a second head and started doing cartwheels while reciting Shakespeare. In a mime costume. What did I do? Even the shadows are shifting oddly.

"...Are you just pranking us, Katie?" Jack asks cautiously.

I give him a blank look. "No? Who are you guys talking about? Is it another spirit?"

Pictures begin to form rapidly over Sandy's head, no doubt telling me all about this 'Man in the Moon' they keep talking about. I'm really bad at charades though. "That's not helping much, but thanks Flirty One." He looks understanding, if a little frustrated.

Tooth tries to explain next. "We were all humans before we became who we are now, Katie. Some way or another, we died, but Manny brought us back and gave us our powers so that we could protect the children."

Of course, I knew I was someone before I died. I'd had my suspicions, but they were confirmed when Jack came back from the Guardian's fight with Pitch; he tried to convince me to go get my memories from Tooth for weeks afterward. But unlike Jack, I've known my center and purpose ever since I was 'born'. It made itself (please excuse the pun) painfully obvious. I never had the want nor a reason to get them back, so I didn't.

"Wasn't there a full moon when you woke up?" Jack asks curiously, momentarily forgetting about his neon, sparkly, rainbow-y hair.

Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something important? I turn my attention to my friend's question. I focus on the sky that night, ignoring what else had been happening. I try not to think about that night much, but this could be important. "Actually, I can't remember there being any moon when I woke up. Maybe it was a new moon?" Their looks of disbelief and shock are starting to get on my nerves now.

"How do you know your name then?" North asks, watching me thoughtfully.

I give him a slightly annoyed look. "I woke up knowing it."

"Do you think Pitch has something to do with it?" Tooth murmurs to the others. I can't help but feel a little indignant about that comment; Pitch can't be the cause of all their problems! I get that they are enemies, but the feud between the Guardians and the Boogeyman had always seemed childish to me. I mean, a kid may get a skateboard for Christmas, but fear is what keeps the kid from skateboarding down the stairs. They're both important.

"The Man in the Moon was the original Guardian," Jack explains, because he of all people knows how easily the Guardians get off-topic. "He fought with Pitch for centuries, trying to fight off the shadows and make the children happy. Eventually, he decided he needed help, so he made Sandy, North, Bunny, and Tooth into Guardians to spread happiness and light."

"It's like the intro to some cheesy 90's movie," I comment with a smirk. "_In a world filled with darkness and misery_," I begin in a dramatic voice, _"-these four heroes are the only hope for humanity. With the Moon as their guide, will they be able to stop their enemy: the King of Nightmares himself?_" I crack up a bit. "Sounds like an awesome movie!" Jack is shaking his head in exasperation, but I can see that grin he's trying to suppress.

"Alright, wait," Bunny pipes in again. "Just tell us what happened when you woke up, sheila."

My reaction is immediate. My back stiffens, all traces of joking falling from my expression instantly. I try to clear my mind before I can remember, but images start to appear unbidden. Biting my tongue, I brace myself against the sharp pain in my chest. Even after a century, I'm not sure why these memories bother me so much. I think it has something to do with how I died, but I can't focus on it long enough to figure it out; it hurts too much.

The shadows are moving in irritation, as if the person they are concealing is very tempted to attack the Guardians at the moment.

But I don't notice.

I suck in a breath as images of scorch marks and the burnt remains of what might have once been a building flit through my mind. It hurts. My lungs freeze up as I try not to remember. '_Breathe_,' I order myself frantically, _'Think of things that make you happy._' Desperately, I look down at my shirt to see its current quote.

_'Anatidaephobia — the fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you.'_

And I can't help it. I giggle a bit. Then I look up and find all the Guardians except Jack staring at me as if I've gone mad. After all, I probably looked like I was about to cry and then suddenly started giggling. Jack is just looking at me with this pitying look, which only makes my mood worsen again. I _don't_ do pity. Slowly, I take deep breaths. It's times like these when I really, _really_ hate my _little problem_.

"Are you alright, Katie?" Tooth asks me worriedly.

I shake my head, trying to clear out the lingering pain. "Yeah, I'm fine; don't worry about it." I try to remember what we had been talking about before we'd gotten on that subject. Subject change time! "So, why _did_ you guys bring me here?"

North looks like he doesn't believe me, but thankfully, he answers, "Man in Moon warned us that you are in danger."

Still not completely sure who that is... Meh, I'll ask Jack or Pitch or someone for the full story later. First thing's first. "Danger from what? I know I have a lot of people who don't like me much, but I can't think of anyone who'd want me _dead_. And why'd he bother to tell you guys about it anyway? I'm not a Guardian."

"Manny also told us to protect you. So!" North claps his hands together, showing off his Naughty and Nice tattoos, "You will be staying at Pole until danger passes!"

I open my mouth to tell him that _no_, I would _not_ be staying at the Pole, but Bunny beats me to it, saying, "No, the sheila would be much safer at my Warren; this is the first place anyone would look for someone we're protecting. She'll stay with me until the danger is gone."

"Wait a second-," I begin, but I'm once again ignored.

"Katie wouldn't want to stay all alone in your Warren!" Tooth interjects. "It'd be much better if she stayed at the Tooth Palace! My fairies could keep her company and protect her there."

"Guys, I don't-"

"I think it'd be best if she stays at the Pole," Jack votes. "The yetis are better prepared for a fight than anyone at the Warren or Tooth Palace, no offence."

I clench my fists at my sides. I _hate_ being ignored. This is _my_ life (afterlife?) and they have no right to decide what I'll do! I ignore the pain that comes with my anger; it actually just adds fuel to the fire, making me even more irritated.

Sandy forms a picture of a rabbit above his head, clearly voting for me to stay at the Warren.

The Guardians devolve into bickering amongst themselves, not even noticing when I take my hat off and reach inside of it. I pull out a bright, cherry-red air horn and brace myself before pushing the button. An ear-piercing, mind-shatteringly loud noise blares from the device, and I let it keep going until I know I have all the Guardians' full attention.

I raise an eyebrow (a trick I learned from Pitch) at the five. "And what makes you think I _want_ you guys to protect me?"

Jack looks at me with a confused, maybe even a little hurt (though the hurt might just be because of his still-ringing ears), expression. He looks a bit like a kicked puppy, so I can't help but feel guilty when he makes that face. "Katie, you're in danger. We need to keep you safe."

"Yeah, what if Pitch captures you while we aren't with you?" Tooth says in an attempt to convince me.

A few things click into place when she says that. _That's_ why they're so adamant about 'protecting' me! They think Pitch is after me! I glance briefly at the shadowed corner of the room. Oh, hell no. No one talks bad about my friends (even if the Guardians don't exactly _know_ I'm friends with Pitch). If I weren't already as mad as I am, I would have kept my temper in check, but not today. No matter how much I like hanging out with Jack, taunting Bunny, having girl talks with Tooth, making bets with North, and pretend-flirting with Sandy, I can't stay here any longer.

No one judges my friends, no one gives me those pitying looks, and no one decides my future for me.

"Look guys, I know you mean well, but I can take care of myself. I've done it for the past century, and I'll keep doing it." When North opens his mouth to say something, probably to protest my statement, I reach into my hat and pull out a small glass ball that's about the size of a marble and is filled with what looks like swirling liquid smoke. With a grin, I throw it onto the ground.

As soon as the thin glass shatters, a thick white mist fills the room, effectively blinding everyone in the room. It's basically the same thing that magicians use to escape in movies, so I know I only have a few moments to escape before the fog clears. I fight back a small grin when I hear all of the Guardians (except Sandy, obviously) shouting in confusion. Sorry guys, but I don't need anyone to protect me.

I turn to the shadowed corner, which is the only thing I can see clearly, and find a pair of yellow eyes staring at me in a mixture of confusion and amusement. I wink at Pitch before reaching into my hat once again. This time, however, I don't pull anything out. Instead, I pull _myself_ through. To anyone watching (in this case, just Pitch), it looks like I'm being sucked into the hat, which stays floating there for a moment before it, too, disappears.

When I reappear in Paris, France, I instantly fall onto my knees, gritting my teeth. It's been a couple years since my emotions last broke out of tight leash I keep them under; now they're running rampant and there's a fiery pain in my side because of it. I was able to ignore it for a while, but now it is all catching up with me. Not having the strength to move, I curl up where I fell and wait until I've calmed down enough for the pain to subside.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, a girl who looks about 15-years-old smiles dementedly to herself as she stares off into space. The girl has thin, greasy white hair and her pale grey eyes have dark, bruise-like bags under them. She sits with her legs pulled up to her chest, watching people walk past from her spot on top of the tallest building in the town.

"What a shame," she murmurs to herself. "Silly Trickster. Running off like that isn't safe, you know." She turns back to a small puddle near her, where a reflection of a red-haired girl in a matching red cape glitters in the sunlight. When the image of the girl falls to her knees, the white-haired teen reaches out to the reflection with an almost childlike expression, but as her finger touches the water, ripples flow through the image and it disappears. She blinks and for a moment, the dull haze in her eyes clears and she stares sadly at the humans below her. Then the maniacal grin finds its way back onto her face and she continues speaking to herself.

"The King and the Sprite are on her side, and she hasn't even gotten her memories back!" She pouts as she remembers the detail. "Well, we can't have that. She'll have to remember immediately! The fun won't really start until she does."

The girl's smile as she stands is as terrifying as it is deranged.

"I'll just have to pay her a visit."

**A/N: Whew, the end part was hard to write. I need her to be confusing-ish and vague, but she still needed to make enough sense that you guys can kinda understand what she's thinking. I'm still not sure if I got it right; please tell me if it's way too confusing! Don't worry, you'll find out who she is in the next chapter (probably). *evil grin* So what did you guys think of Katie's reaction to the Guardians?**

**Wow, this chapter turned out a little darker than I intended it to be... I'll try to make the next one happier!**


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